For my most recent engagement shoot, I was lucky enough to have Steven and Amber take me on a pretty fantastic tour of Old Town Alexandria. Not only is it steeped in local history, but it was full of endless small alleys and grand doorways and little nooks to explore and shoot in!

This charming portion of Alexandria was made even more beautiful by the fact that it was bursting with summer life; sweet magnolias, creeping ivy, lacy hydrangea and even some strange little pink poofs that made for an interesting little touch in the shot below.

I just loved all of the textures and colors we came across, like this bannister on a set of steps outside of a restaurant. A 180-degree turn totally changed the backdrop on these shots, and exposed a whole experience of patterns and hues.

It's almost hard to think so far ahead (and so far away from the summer humidity) about these guys getting married in January, but I'm just as excited to follow them to their winter vineyard wedding as I was to explore this beautiful spot just outside our nation's capitol. Cheers and congrats, Steven and Amber! -MJ